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Written by Norman Cramp, Director of Darwin Military Museum.

It is now over 75 years since the first Japanese attacks upon Darwin, and Australia, took place on 19th February 1942 and time has taken its toll on those who were in Darwin on that day and the many days of war on and off Australian soil that followed.

Darwin Commemorative Association order of service programme 1918. (Source: Darwin Military Museum collection)

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The flag in the photograph above holds a special place in Darwin and the NT’s Second World War history.

The flag was being flown by Number 12 Squadron RAAF over RAAF Base Darwin on the 19th February 1942 when the Japanese raided the town, and Australia, for the first time.

This Australian national flag is only one of two such flags that survived the first raids, the other being the flag that flew over ‘Government House’, the Administrator’s residence, on that fateful day.